Meta Connect 2026: Muse AI, New AI Glasses and Meta VR Glasses Announced

Meta Connect 2026 has put personal AI, smart glasses and spatial computing at the centre of Meta’s next-generation hardware strategy. At the two day event, Meta unveiled new capabilities for its Muse personal AI agent, announced a broader range of AI glasses, introduced its first dedicated audio glasses and revealed Meta VR Glasses, a lightweight device designed to combine virtual displays, entertainment and spatial computing.

Meta said Muse will increasingly move beyond smartphones and computers, with plans to bring the AI agent to its glasses. The company also expects to have more than 100 AI glasses styles across its Ray-Ban, Oakley and Meta Glasses ranges by the end of 2026.

Meta Muse gets voice, avatars and AI glasses support

Muse was introduced only a few weeks before Meta Connect 2026, but Meta has already outlined a wider role for the personal AI agent. One of the key updates is real-time voice interaction. Users will be able to have longer conversations with Muse while the agent continues working on tasks in the background. Meta also says users can customise the voice by describing preferences such as speed or accent.

Meta Superintelligence Labs is also developing Muse Realtime Avatar, which turns Muse’s real-time voice capabilities into an interactive digital avatar.

Perhaps the biggest change is the move to AI glasses. In the coming months, users will be able to activate Muse on supported Meta AI glasses by saying the agent’s name. The agent will also be able to understand what the wearer is looking at.

That could allow users to ask Muse about a product on a shelf, read information from a flyer or make sense of a long shopping list without first explaining what is in front of them. Muse is also getting its own email address, which Meta says can be used to communicate with the agent and allow it to complete tasks.

Muse can now work across Mac apps

Meta is expanding Muse beyond conversations and simple assistance. With the latest Muse for Mac update, the agent can operate applications on a Mac with the user’s permission. This means a user can assign tasks and leave Muse to continue working while they are away from the computer.

The company is also expanding the number of services connected to Muse. New additions include Walmart, Best Buy, Sephora, Ulta, Wayfair, PayPal, Shop Pay, Expedia, Instacart, Notion, GitHub and Box, among others.

Muse can currently be accessed through the Muse app, WhatsApp, the web and Meta’s Mac desktop application. Meta also teased Muse Charm, a small device designed specifically for interacting with Muse through real-time voice. The company said it will share more details about the device later this year.

Meta expands AI glasses portfolio with 100+ styles

Meta also used Connect 2026 to expand its AI glasses strategy. The company introduced its first audio glasses, combining open-ear audio with AI features in a traditional Ray-Ban-style form factor. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses come in Clubmaster and Burbank designs and offer up to 12 hours of battery life, according to Meta.

Meta is also preparing Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3. The new generation is designed to be slimmer and more comfortable and includes an action button for quicker access to Meta AI and other functions. Two new frame designs, Aviator and Zena, will join the range.

The wider Meta Glasses portfolio is also getting new designs, including Meta Capri, Meta Nova, Meta Adventurer and the limited-edition Meta Fury. Meta has also announced collaborations and new colour options, while its Mix & Match programme will allow customers in the US to customise frame, lens and case colours.

Meta Glasses are also expanding into new markets, including Singapore, South Korea and Mexico, with Brazil and the United Arab Emirates set to follow. Meta said its AI glasses portfolio will cross 100 different styles by the end of 2026.

New AI features focus on hands-free assistance

The hardware expansion is being accompanied by new software features. Meta announced hearing enhancement for supported AI glasses. The FDA-cleared feature is designed to help adults aged 18 and above with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. Meta said it will launch in the US later this year at $149.99, with HSA/FSA eligibility, or through a Meta One subscription.

Other features are aimed at everyday activities. Meta is adding guided workouts for running and cycling, nutrition tracking and shopping assistance. The shopping feature can identify products, prices and reviews. Users can also set alerts or make purchases using voice commands.

The glasses are also getting improved navigation. Instead of relying only on street names, directions can use familiar landmarks, such as telling someone to turn at a supermarket. Meta is also adding personalised audio controls, custom gestures and improved visual AI. For cyclists and public transport users, voice-based directions are coming to Meta Ray-Ban Display in the US and Canada later this month.

Meta AI glasses add Dolby Atmos video capture

Meta is also pushing the glasses further into content creation. The company said its AI glasses will support video capture with Dolby Atmos, allowing users to record moments with 360-degree spatial sound. The idea is to make recordings feel more immersive when played back while keeping the capture process as simple as recording normally through the glasses.

Meta VR Glasses arrive in 2027

The other major hardware announcement was Meta VR Glasses, which Meta describes as its most advanced VR device yet. The glasses are scheduled to launch in spring 2027 at $1,299.99.

At around 100 grams, Meta says the device is five times lighter than Meta Quest 3. Its 5K Infinite Display uses micro-OLED panels, while the battery and processors sit inside a separate puck that can be clipped to a belt, pocket or bag.

The design is intended to turn the glasses into a portable workspace and entertainment system. Users can create several virtual displays, connect other devices and use a desk or table as an input surface. Eye movements and hand gestures replace traditional controllers for navigation.

Meta AI can also be used to rearrange a virtual workspace or launch entertainment services such as Disney+, YouTube, HBO Max and Prime Video.

Meta introduces hologram video calling

Meta also demonstrated a hologram feature for its VR glasses. The technology creates a real-time digital representation of the user, allowing people on the other end of a call to see their face and expressions. Meta says the setup requires a quick self-capture using a smartphone.

Hologram is expected to be available with Meta VR Glasses when they launch next spring. An early-access version will also begin rolling out in the US on WhatsApp for Meta Ray-Ban Display users in the coming months.

Beat Saber and new VR games announced

Meta Connect 2026 also brought several gaming announcements. Beat Saber is getting its biggest update yet next spring across Meta VR Glasses and Meta Quest. The update, called Flux, introduces high-fidelity hand tracking, allowing players to use their hands instead of traditional controllers.

Meta is also adding several new games designed around hand tracking. The announced titles include Cardmada, Dice Throne Digital, Dragon Grove, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, Supernatural, Tetris Effect: Mixed Realities and Two Point Hospital.

What Meta Connect 2026 means for the next generation of computing

Meta Connect 2026 showed a clear shift in how Meta sees personal AI devices.

Muse is being designed to follow users across apps, computers and eventually AI glasses. At the same time, Meta is expanding its glasses portfolio from AI-enabled eyewear into audio, navigation, health assistance, shopping and content creation. Meta VR Glasses take the idea further by combining virtual screens, AI, entertainment and hands-free interaction in a glasses-based form factor.

The broader strategy is straightforward: Meta wants AI to become something people can access throughout the day, rather than something they open only on a phone or computer. The company’s Connect announcements suggest that glasses and spatial computing will play a growing role in that transition.

Indrani Priyadarshini

Indrani Priyadarshini is a journalist and editorial professional specialising in technology, artificial intelligence, smart cities, green energy, and digital transformation. With over four years of experience in tech journalism and digital media, she is known for turning complex industry developments into clear, engaging, and insightful stories. Her expertise spans reporting, editorial strategy, digital publishing workflows, and in-depth coverage of emerging technologies shaping the future.